Course Title: Environmental Enrichment and Mental Health Management for Shelter and Rescue Dogs - 233
Credits: 3 (Approx. 42 work-hours)
Instructor: Molly Stone, CDBC; Dip.A.B; CC-SF/SPCA
Course Description
The shelter and rescue environment is stressful for most dogs. On top of the social upheaval each dog is going through, they may have problem behaviors that cause them distress or make it difficult to find them a home. Maintaining dogs in shelter and rescue environments so that their behavior and mental health does not deteriorate is a significant challenge with limited time and resources. This course explores this problem and some practices that can minimize the dog’s deterioration while maximizing the probability of the dog being adopted and being integrated successfully into its new home.
Resources
- Wells, D. L. (2004) A review of environmental enrichment for kenneled dogs, Canis Familiaris. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 85, 307-317. Click here to purchase or get through library.
- Coppinger, R. & Zuccotti, J. (1999). Kennel enrichment: Exercise and socialization of dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2(4), 281-296. Click here to purchase or get through library.
- Wells, D. L. & Hepper, P. G. (2000). The Influence of Environmental Change on the Behavior of Sheltered Dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 68, 151-162. Click here to purchase or get through library.
- Tuber, D., Miller, D., Caris, K., Halter, R., Linden, F., Hennessy, M. (1999). Dogs in Animal Shelters: Problems, Suggestions, and Needed Expertise. Psychological Science, 10(5), 379–386. Click here to purchase article or get through a library.
- Great Dog Adoptions: A Guide for Shelters by Sue Sternberg, (2002).
- Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals (Ufaw Animal Welfare Series) by Robert J. Young Publisher: Blackwell Publishing, Incorporated (November 1, 2003) ISBN-10: 0632064072
- http://www.animalsheltering.org
Enrollment Package Includes
- Coursework document with assignments and course notes
- Student Handbook
- Access to Classroom, with transcripts from Guest Visits and handouts
- Free membership with IIACAB and to all issues of its journal JACAB
- Access to your Instructor for one-on-one guidance
Schedule
The course begins as soon as your enrollment is complete and you receive your enrollment package. Although we allow 4 months for this course, you are free to complete the course sooner if you can, and we do allow extensions if need be.
Prerequisites
None
Tuition
$350 Cdn. (Currency Converter) + 4% fee for for online payments. Textbooks not included in tuition. They may be purchased through http://www.dogwise.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.abebooks.com or http://www.half.com in most cases. Also check the Student Library. Canadian Residents 5% GST. Most public libraries will either have journal articles or can get them through inter-library loans. University libraries are more likely to have them on site.
Enrollment
Visit the "ENROLL" page and follow the application instructions.
